Max Hodak’s Science Corp. is preparing to place its first sensor in a human brain
The device could help address multiple neurological conditions if it proves successful. One early use could be delivering gentle electrical stimulation to damaged brain or spinal cord cells to encourage healing.
Science Corporation, the startup from former Neuralink president and co-founder Max Hodak, has enlisted a top neurobiologist to lead the first U.S. human trials for its biohybrid brain-computer interface.
Dr. Murat Günel, chair of Yale Medical School’s Department of Neurosurgery, has signed on as a scientific adviser after two years of discussions. His goal is to surgically place the first sensor for a future interface — one that will eventually combine lab-grown neurons with electronics — into a patient’s brain.
Science, founded in 2021, completed a $230 million Series C fundraising round last month that valued the company at $1.5 billion. Its most advanced product is PRIMA, a device for restoring vision in people with blindness caused by macular degeneration and similar conditions. Science acquired the technology in 2024 and has advanced it through clinical trials, with plans to make it more widely available in Europe once regulatory approval is obtained, perhaps as soon as this year.
Hodak, however, co-founded the company with a bigger vision in mind: creating reliable communication links between computers and the human brain — both to treat disease and to establish a path toward human enhancement, such as adding entirely new senses to the body. He has dedicated his career to that proposition, from talking his way into a graduate neuroscience lab as a college student, to founding his first biotech computing startup, to building Neuralink alongside Elon Musk.
Neuralink and other organizations have succeeded in using electronic sensors to detect brain activity in patients suffering from ALS, spinal injuries, and other conditions that sever the brain’s communication with the body. Users with implanted devices can control computers or generate words on a screen simply by thinking about them. However, the path to a real market for these devices remains murky, given regulatory challenges and the relatively small number of patients with applicable diagnoses.
For his part, Hodak concluded that the conventional method of influencing the brain with electricity by using metal probes or electrodes is the wrong path forward. While the technology can achieve remarkable results, Günel says these probes cause brain damage that is likely to undermine device performance over time. That limitation led the Science founding team toward a more organic approach.
“The idea of using natural connections through neurons and creating a biological interface between the electronics and the human brain is genius,” Günel told TechCrunch.
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Alan Mardinly, a co-founder and the company’s chief science officer, has led development of Science’s biohybrid sensor with a team of 30 researchers. The final device will be embedded with lab-grown neurons. Those neurons can be stimulated with pulses of light and are designed to naturally integrate with the neurons in a patient’s brain, forming a bridge between biology and electronics. In 2024, the company released a working paper that showed the device could be safely implanted in mice and used to stimulate brain activity.
Inside the company, the focus now is developing prototypes of the device and working out how to grow neuron cells for different therapeutic applications that meet the standards for medical use.
Günel will advise the team as it is preparing for human clinical trials and is already in discussion with the medical ethics boards that oversee experiments involving human subjects. The first step will be testing the company’s advanced sensor, without the embedded neurons, inside a living human brain.
Unlike a Neuralink device, which is inserted directly into brain tissue, Science’s sensor will be implanted inside the skull but rest on top of the brain. Possibly because of that distinction, the company says it doesn’t plan to seek FDA approval for these trials, arguing the tiny device — which contains 520 recording electrodes packed into an area the size of a pea — poses no significant risk to patients.
The team’s plan is to find patient candidates who already require significant brain surgery, like stroke victims who need a piece of their cranium removed to reduce the impact of brain swelling. In such a case, Günel expects to place the sensor on top of their cortex and evaluate its safety and efficacy in measuring brain activity.
Günel believes the device could help address multiple neurological conditions if it proves successful. One early use could be delivering gentle electrical stimulation to damaged brain or spinal cord cells to encourage healing. A more complex application might involve monitoring neurological activity in patients with brain tumors, and providing early warnings to caregivers about oncoming seizures.
If the full potential of these devices is realized, though, Günel wonders if they might provide more effective treatments for conditions like Parkinson’s disease, a progressive disorder that gradually robs patients of control over their bodies. Current treatment options include experimental brain cell transplants and deep brain stimulation with electricity, but neither has been proven to reliably stop the disease from advancing.
“I imagine this biohybrid system as combining those two — you have the electronics, and you have the biological system,” he told TechCrunch. “In Parkinson’s, for example, we cannot stop the progression of the disease; in neurosurgery, all we are doing is putting an electrode to stop the tremors. Whereas if you can really put the [transplanted] cells back in the brain, protect those circuits, there’s a chance, and I believe it’s a good chance, that we can stop progression of the disease.”
There is much work to be done before then, however. Günel says it would be “optimistic” to expect trials to begin in 2027.
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Key takeaways
- Science Corp. could revolutionize the treatment of neurological diseases in Brazil, where there is a high demand for innovations in this field.
- Hodak's organic approach may stimulate investment in biotechnology and research in Brazil, fostering a more innovative ecosystem.
- Success in clinical trials could open doors for partnerships with health and research institutions in Brazil, amplifying the impact of the technology.
Editorial analysis
Max Hodak's initiative at Science Corp. represents a significant advancement at the intersection of biotechnology and neuroscience, particularly in the Brazilian context, where the tech sector is rapidly expanding. The development of bio-hybrid brain-machine interfaces could open new possibilities for treating neurological diseases, a field that still lacks robust innovations. In Brazil, where neurological conditions such as stroke and multiple sclerosis are prevalent, the introduction of technologies aimed at restoring brain functions could have a profound impact on patients' quality of life.
Furthermore, the organic approach proposed by Science Corp. may inspire new research and collaborations in Brazil, where universities and startups are increasingly turning to biotechnology. The possibility of using lab-grown neurons to create more natural and less invasive interfaces could stimulate investment in biotechnology in the country, fostering a more robust and innovative ecosystem.
It is crucial to watch the next steps of Science Corp., especially regarding clinical trials and regulatory approvals. Initial success in humans could not only validate the technology but also open doors for partnerships with health and research institutions in Brazil. The potential for expansion into other applications, such as enhancing human capabilities, also raises ethical questions that need to be discussed as the technology advances.
Finally, Hodak's trajectory and his vision of direct communication between humans and machines resonate with global trends in AI and neurotechnology. Brazil, by integrating into these conversations, can position itself as a relevant player in this space, leveraging its strength in research and development to create solutions that meet local and global needs.
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